How Well Do You Know JavaScript?

JavaScript is probably the world’s most popular and misunderstood programming languages and for good reason.
When a developer claims to know JavaScript this generally equates to one or all of the following:

“I know what JavaScript is, I can learn JavaScript in 30 minutes“

“JavaScript is for kids, it’s a toy language, it’s easy”

“I just copy and paste my JavaScript snippets / scripts from the internet”

“JavaScript is just another programming language like C++, C#, VB.NET, or Java”

If thoughts similar to these have crossed your mind when sizing up your JavaScript knowledge, then you probably don’t know JavaScript.

I would argue that if you’ve never programmed in a functional programming language (like: Lisp, Scheme, F#), never read a GOOD book on JavaScript, or never watched a video on JavaScript, then you probably don’t understand JavaScript at all. JavaScript is starkly different than any other mainstream programming language.

When it comes to JavaScript, if you don’t understand the fundamentals then you’re only punishing yourself.

Here are some things every JavaScript developer should probably understand:

JavaScript is a prototypically inherited (prototype-based programming) language which is very different than the classically inherited (class-based programming) languages like C++, Java, and most of the .NET languages – you know the difference between a prototype-based programming and class-based programming language.

You know how to keep you JavaScript, CSS, document structure separate, and appreciate non obtrusive JavaScript.

If any of these points seem foreign, then it may be time to learn JavaScript. With all the hype and buzz around Web 2.0 and AJAX it could be a great way to augment your career while broadening your programming language vocabulary.